Ghana to Roll Out QR Code-Enabled Land Plans from September 2025

Accra, August 28, 2025 — The Lands Commission and the Survey and Mapping Division have announced a major step toward digitising Ghana’s land administration system. Beginning 1st September 2025, all approved land survey plans will now feature QR codes and address codes for easier verification and transparency.

The directive was published in the Ghanaian Times on August 28 and applies to all certified plans submitted after September 1. The notice has since been widely circulated on social media, where the new QR-coded template was illustrated and discussed.

What’s Changing

The updated “customer centric approved plan template” introduces:

• A unique QR code embedded in each plan, which when scanned, reveals location and polygon details of the parcel.
• An address code to help precisely identify and validate plots of land.

These additions aim to reduce fraud, enhance accuracy, and simplify verification for buyers, investors, and surveyors.

Why It Matters

Land ownership in Ghana has long been plagued by issues of duplicate sales, unclear boundaries, and fraudulent documentation. By embedding QR codes directly into approved plans, the Commission is signalling a shift toward digital-first land governance.

For property buyers and developers, this means:

• Faster due diligence on plots
• More reliable verification before purchase
• Reduced risk of fraudulent transactions
  

Impact on Investors and Developers

For institutional investors, diaspora buyers, and developers, this reform marks an important milestone in making Ghana’s real estate market more trustworthy and transparent. QR-enabled verification will help streamline approvals and boost confidence in land transactions.

A Step Toward the Future

While QR codes are a welcome innovation, they are still tied to centralised databases. The next frontier is to secure this information on blockchain ledgers, where ownership records are immutable, transparent, and accessible across borders.

Platforms like LandLedger can extend this vision by linking every property token not only to the Lands Commission’s approved plan but also to a tamper-proof on-chain record. This dual layer of verification could make Ghana’s land system both locally trusted and globally accessible — a foundation for secure investment and future innovation.

Sources

• Ghanaian Times, Public Notice: “Publication of Customer Centric Approved Plan Template”, August 28, 2025.

Editor’s Note: This article reports on a directive originally announced by the Lands Commission on 28 August 2025.